The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two individuals for harbouring the terrorists responsible for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives. Officials said the arrests came after an intensive investigation that included questioning more than 2,000 locals, including ponywalas and eyewitnesses.
The development comes in the wake of recent NIA raids at 32 locations across Kashmir, including Shopian, Kulgam, Pulwama, Sopore, and Kupwara, targeting suspected overground workers linked to Pakistan-based terror groups. Jammu and Kashmir Police assisted the operation, which is part of a broader federal effort to dismantle terror infrastructure in the region.
In addition to the two arrests, several individuals were booked under the Public Safety Act. Relatives of both the victims and survivors of the Pahalgam attack were also interviewed.
The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), had earlier claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack. NIA officials stated that new leads have emerged about the attackers’ movements and support networks, with senior agency teams continuing to probe the case intensively.
The arrests underscore India’s heightened counter-terrorism posture in Jammu and Kashmir, as authorities aim to ensure safer conditions ahead of the upcoming Amarnath Yatra and suppress the resurgence of militancy in the Valley.
